"... and so you see, Erengard will not possibly entertain the thought of lending the Republic its armies when it has its own survival at stake! The rest of Tasker’s Crown is embroiled in this war against the Sith, allowing the Senate to simply rent out their forces, leaving them vulnerable! Not Erengard. The Castellan has declared that his soldiers will remain on their homeworld until the war has seen its end, and he will declare allegiance to neither side of this conflict as neither hold Erengard’s best interests in mind. Castellan Pinzot sees what sham the Senate tries to trick him into; they only want more men to throw at the advancing Sith hordes! They don’t want to help protect Erengard at all! To even employ that ruse with him is the very definition of insulting. The Castellan will have none of it, and I move to establish Erengardian neutrality and isolation in his name. It is through this act that - "

The Chancellor paused the recorded holo-tape that gestured and postulated arrogantly across the surface of his desk, weary of its content and having provided everything he needed to show his audience.

"So you can see," the Chancellor said, "what the problem is."

"Erengard is arrogant and distrustful, as it always has been,” the Jedi Grandmaster responded. “Much of Tasker’s Crown staunchly supports the Galactic Republic, but never Erengard. They are far too independent to be concerned about the needs of the many, and so they keep to themselves. However... their armies would be of tremendous value in this conflict."

"Indeed they would," the Chancellor sighed, frustrated. "Castellan Pinzot has not sent one reply to any of my messages to his Palace, not one at all! There is nothing more I can do except place embargos upon Erengard to encourage them, but I fear that it would only give the Castellan further cause to mistrust the Senate."

The Jedi Grandmaster closed his eyes, searching beyond himself for the answer to their troubles. "Yes, that course of action would be unwise... it could convince the Castellan that the Republic really does not represent his interests... and then he might turn to the Sith for support. That would be a tragedy for everyone."

"What do you suggest, Master Jedi?" the Chancellor asked. "My influence is spent."

The Jedi Grandmaster studied the Chancellor’s face from beneath his hood, before letting his eyes fall to the hologram of the Erengardian Senator, frozen in mid-sentence, a hand outstretched in violent refusal to the Senate’s request for armed support.

"The Jedi Council will see what can be done about the situation with Erengard," the Grandmaster finally answered. "The Jedi Knights are stretched thinly across the Galaxy to combat the encroaching darkness, but there are yet some that remain on Coruscant, awaiting the call of the Force..."

-

Welcome to 'Erengard,' a single episode featuring primarily the world from which the episode takes its name, and the full-scale planetary assault of it as the brave knights of the Republic and the dark agents of the Empire both seek to sway the world’s leader to their side, or prevent the other side from gaining the leader’s support. This is the first time I will be running a major team versus team role-playing game (that has been planned out and fully structured, at least) and, above all else, I hope you enjoy playing it almost as much as I enjoyed writing it... and not nearly as much as I will enjoy dragging you all through the hazards that Erengard holds for your characters.

I came up with the idea to put this together about two years ago. As most of you know, I started running a series of tale-telling short games concerning the histories of our characters under the RETROSPECTION label, when Ush announced that there would be some delay between the end of the OT game and the start of the newest PT game episode. Of the twelve episodes I have written, five have been completed, the rest remaining available for when their players have time. But there was one in particular that I wrote, called ‘Brothers,’ that is pertinent to this story. When designing Erengard, the homeworld of the dastardly Commissar Melkor Esgabath, I imagined it as a stubbornly patriotic world deeply mired in its traditions and events long since past, something that the young Esgabath would seek to change as a supporter of Palpatine’s Galactic Empire. But, in order to create a world stuck in its old ways and history, you have to give it that history. And so I envisioned for Erengard a brutal and epic history of driving the Sith off of their world... but now, I want to explore those events with you all.

As a reminder, ‘Erengard’ is set in 1980 BBY, nearly two thousand years before a specific fair-haired farm boy is told by a crazy old man that he has a great destiny before him. The Sith have lain dormant for centuries after yet another sound defeat at the hands of the Jedi, existing only as small cults and tribes scattered across the Galaxy. But in the recent decade, a man known as Darth Ruin has brought them back together under one banner to wage war on the Republic, who has grown lax in the absence of their mortal foe. The Jedi and the Sith clash once again in the ever-turbulent Galaxy where Star Wars takes place...

This has been a trying war for the Jedi Order. In recent centuries, their interaction with the Sith had been relatively minimal; only trouble comes from attempting to bust up the Dark Side cults that have sprung up about the Galaxy. Knights sent out to handle such things rarely returned, or returned broken beings, and the Order did not have the resources to commit all of their agents to such an endeavor. Especially considering that the Senate did not support it; it was seen as seeking out problems when there were none. The Sith were subdued and that was that. Aside from the occasional criminal activities the Sith tried, they were too splintered to be a tremendous threat to Republic security.

The Senate now knows that it was horribly, irreparably mistaken.

It has been nearly a decade since the Senate received an ultimatum from the evil zealot Darth Ruin- surrender or be destroyed. Perhaps Ruin thought that the Senate’s fear of yet another open conflict would cause them consider his demands, but this did not happen. The Republic did not dissolve and give in before the shots were fired; instead, it immediately dumped funds into its war effort and called on the Jedi Order for support.

And so that is what all of you have been doing- supporting. The Jedi Knights among you- the militant Hedric, the healer Cardon Callovay, the stern Master Alan Medar, and the odd Master Sax Tiberius- have largely been following the coordination of the Council, going where the campaign needs you. The Renegade Knights, on the other hand- the helpful I’udo and the vigilant Fellien Starstriker- have been going where the defenseless need you. Over the past few weeks you have been receiving well-deserved rest and possibly medical attention for injuries sustained in your adventuring... but wherever you are in the Jedi Temple, you have all just received a summons to come to the Jedi Council chambers.

We begin play with our Jedi heroes waiting outside the Council chambers...

-

REMINDER- Resist, if you can, the temptation to read the thread of the other team! Anyone using information from the other thread to play your actions here will be penalized.

As the Jedi are wont to do, at this point you can choose to employ the use of any Predictive powers that you possess, to get a glimpse of the events to come. For the Jedi, you have two choices- ‘Dreams’ if you have Master Intuition, ‘Foresight’ if you have Master Insight. Dreams is free to use unless you want to increase your chances of seeing something by spending a Force point, whereas Foresight always works but costs a Force point. Remember that Force points need to last you the entire story!

‘Dreams’ are as they sound- unconscious images about the future that you receive in your sleep that are laden with obscured meanings and metaphors that you need to translate to get your clues.

‘Foresight’ is a representation of actively searching in the future for answers about things to come, getting images that are less obscure and contain directly useful information somewhere, sometimes about very important matters.

Hedric made the point of getting to the Council chambers first, having run part of the way there in his eagerness, despite the fact that it is highly unlikely that the Council meeting would begin before the others arrived. Even so, he feels his punctuality is important and showing his dedication to his cause even more so.

The war has forced the Jedi to consider militant options, as he thinks they should, but what will happen when the war is over?

Hedric comes already dressed for whatever mission the Council has in mind for him- his gray Jedi tunic with a red pauldron on his left shoulder. He carries his lightsaber proudly on his belt, opposite the blaster pistol that he made himself from spare parts.

He waits patiently as the others start to arrive.

"What do you think the Council has planned for us?" Hedric asks whomever shows first.

"Hard to tell, with that group." I'udo answers, inclining his head toward the closed Council Chamber doors. "But I'm sure it'll be interesting. Name's I'udo." He extends his hand to the other Jedi, obviously a warrior.

__________________
'Jedi are at their best when things don't go as planned.' - Anakin Skywalker, whom we now know never met Andro Fenris.

"Can't be sure until they tell us anyway," Fellien says when she arrives, shortly behind I'udo. "Lot of good it does us when they don't tell us what's going on. Oh well, I'm sure there's a good reason they're yanking me away from what I was doing. Bounty hunters on Ord Kasaal didn't like me much."

Fellien is a young lass with sandy blonde hair, pulled back into a tight bun with the exception of her bangs. She wears a beige form-fitting top with brown jean-like pants and high black boots that reach her knees. Gunbelts hang across her hips with some sleek pistols resting in their holsters. Her lightsaber dangles next to one.

"Fellien Starstriker," she offers her name to I'udo and Hedric.

__________________

Punch your lights out, hit the pavement
That's what I call entertainment
Causing problems makes you famous
All the silence makes a statement

"Oh, it will certainly be more interesting than our nigh empty Temple," Hedric responds to I'udo. "Call me Hedric. Jedi Knight and Officer of the Senatorial Guard. I'udo, you said? Certainly not I'udo the Helper? I did not think you were one to wander the halls of Coruscan't Temple."

When Fellien speaks, he observes first her figure and then her pistols. "Miss, I cannot think of a reason why bounty hunters would not like you. Broken one too many hearts, I presume?"

"Well met, Mister Hedric, Lady Starstriker. I am that very same I'udo, and it is true I have not been here for some time. But when I took my leave, I swore to return if called, and so I have." He considers the arrival of the lady Starstriker and takes in her appearance.

"If I may, Miss, I don't beleive you make your home here either. The odds of this being an unusual, and likely important, mission have just gone up considerably, unless I miss my guess."

__________________
'Jedi are at their best when things don't go as planned.' - Anakin Skywalker, whom we now know never met Andro Fenris.

Cardon Callovay enters, wearing his Jedi robes which are not atypical in any way except for the billowing bell sleeves and the fact that Cardon is wearing a cream-colored tam. He takes it off as he enters.

"And I thought I was the only one being hastled!" Cardon says. "I am Cardon Callovay. I am assuming that the Council summoned you all here?"

"Your guess is spot on," Fellien says, smiling at I'udo. "I'm not one for keeping up with the Council or what the Senate is up to. Prefer to take matters into my own hands, and when you've got a war going on, that's pretty easy to do. Self-styled vigilante, I am. Galaxy's too big for the Order to be stuck in one place. You need to go abroad to get things done."

When Cardon enters, she looks over at him.

"Yup, or I wouldn't be here," Fellien comments.

__________________

Punch your lights out, hit the pavement
That's what I call entertainment
Causing problems makes you famous
All the silence makes a statement

"I admire your proactive take on what should be expected of a Jedi," Hedric says to I'udo. "I myself feel that the Jedi should be out there righting wrongs, but taking my leave to do as I see fit is hardly going to make changes within the Order itself. I mean no offense, just my thoughts."

A walking stick clangs across the ground as the doors open, and a rather jolly looking individual enters the room.

Master Tiberius enters wearing his vintage rustic Jedi robes. His long grey beard protruding beneath his hood with a smile on his face. He takes a seat while the others talk, resting the stick across his shoulder.

He thinks over the group keeping his jolly smile, "It would appear I am in grand company today."

"Calloo, callay," Cardon Callovay responds to Hedric's poorly veiled disdain and sudden abandonment of the subject. "I am a healer. Burying my nose in a book is what I do when I am not tending to the wounded in field hospitals."

He shakes his head at Hedric and turns his attention to the others in the room.

"I have no doubt that whatever our mission is, based on the times and the things we are known for, it concerns the War."

It is at this point that the doors into the Council chambers open. A protocol droid ambles out in its staggering, robotic gait toward you all, before stopping in the midst of your group.

"The Grandmaster is ready to meet with you," it politely announces, before carrying on down the hallway. With nothing keeping you in the hall, you move into the Council chambers.

The room where the Council meets is not at all different from its appearance in the films- a circular room atop the highest tower of the Jedi Temple, with comfortable seats of varying shapes and sizes encircling the center floor, which is decorated with a symmetrical pattern in the tiling, and high windows that provide an uninterrupted view of the Coruscant skyline.

The Jedi Grandmaster is the only Councilmember present today, sitting just opposite of the door. His appearance is highly unordinary- a gray-haired man wearing simple Jedi robes that do not betray anything special about himself, and yet he is the most powerful man in the Jedi Order. His name is Seig Breha. His eyes slowly open as you enter.

"Ah, excellent," he says, projecting so that he is heard but speaking calmly. "You have all responded to my summons. Excellent indeed."